Folding bracket shelf



April 20, 1954 J. G. 1 sKAR 2,675,925

FOLDING BRACKET SHELF filed March 15, 195o BY gola-@ ZZorweg/s.

Patented Apr. Y20, 1954 Nil TED FFlCE 2,675,925. i FOLDING.; BRACKET 'SHELF John Y G.1L. Skat;V J amestown; N.1.1Y.,-1.:fassigxor. to

I Art Metal ConstructionCompany,5amestown.

. Y., a corporation of New ork Application-'Mar'ch15, 1950,' SeriaFNo. 149,75 0

1 This invention relates to bracket shelvesmade *'o'fsheet metal such as are 'employed inlibrary bookstacks rof the 'type'in which the shelves are i'mounted ,on upright metal columnsl by vertical `endbrackets hinged to each end of each Yshelf and which serve as end walls for each shelf Yand are detachablv or adjustably connected to the upright columns. f

One ofthe principal objects of the present inventionris. to provide a simple and inexpensive `hinge connection for p permanently connecting keach ,shelf to its companion pair of end brackets and .which permits thesebrackets to be folded from their Lperpendicular or vertical shelfy supporting position to aposition close alongside the shelf for economizingspace in storage or shipping and which. at alltimes prevents the brackets from 'beingdetached from the shelves and lost or mislaid. i

Another object is to provide such a hinge connection which does not require ,any addedmetal `v`for the shelf or'brackets, the hinge .parts being `shaped out of the sides of the .brackets and Ythe necessary end anges of the shelf.

fAno'ther object is to provide such a .hinge which isstrong and` durable kin construction and will i function without binding 'or distortion under lsevere service conditions. Another object is to provide such a hingezwhich lcaribe. formed and assembled with vsimple rtools v.and operations.

l'Other objects and advantages of the invention lwill appear from the following description'and drawings, in which:

"-Fig. 1-is a fragmentary iront elevational'view,

on-a-reduced scalefof a metal library bookstack orrshelving structure having bracket shelves emlbodying the presentl invention. Y y

-lFig 2 an end.y elevational View of a -shelf ing the supporting column inesectionpthisview being on an enlargedsoale. Y Y 3 is a further V'enlarged Afrfqigmentary ,per-

Vfspective. view-ofohe part ofa shelfxshowingthe `:mannerimwhich it is formed toprovide a `hinge .145

:leaf .ofthe hinge connection.

Fig 4. :is ya companion: fragmentary perspecy.tive'vievv of a part of the bracket and showing thermanner in which .the samedis aperturedto receive .z the .Y hinges leaf shown fin.. Fig. 3 and the zmanner in which itis provided fwith a vtangfto hold the 1 hinge .parts i in permanentlyv assembled =relation.

l2 I*their hinge -parts y*assembled and 4`the tang straightened so astohold the parts of 'thehinge permanently in position.

Fig.- 6 is a fragmentaryl vertical sectional view taken on line 6-6'and showing the 'hinge conne'cti'on' before vthe vtang has vbeen straightened lto hold the-hinge partsl interlocked.

4Fig. 7 is a'view similar Vto vFignG''showingJt-lre tang'after it 'has' been straightened to hold the l" hinge' parts interlocked.

7 and isjshown as reinforcedalongits opposite longitudinal edgesfby a .bead III `which can be conveniently' formed "by providing a depending reversely formed or C-shaped'flange along 'the corresponding longitudinal edgeA of the shelf.

30 At' its opposite ends each shelf is, providedwith Vadependingiiange 'I5 which preferably projects A`downwardly, a distance equal tothe downward extension. of V`the' longitudinal` beads- I4.

Each end bracket I I .is madeof sheet metal and 35of generally rectangular form .with its outer -v unit :embodyingithe present .invention and show- 4.0

upper corner. preferably rounded, as indicated at I6, and this ,rounded-part I6Y and the front and upper :edges ofnthe bracket 'preferably .being formedto provider a roundingbutwardly 'prox jecting 'beadfori shallow ."ilange I8. ..1 Each fbracket is: alsol providedi along thefupperspart off its rear i edge With'f-a pairlof downwardly2 directed! `hooks f 1I 9 and'which1areadaptedftoienterf-a corresponding pair'rof' thevertical'slotsl 3 4of the supporting Ecolumnfllandhold the bracket against forward displacement. Eachbracket I I-isv also `provided along the-lower part of its" rearedge with 'a `rear- -wardly projecting square lug or extension 20 50 "'whichis adapted to enter al lower-slot I3fo'flthe 'series supporting 'the hooks ISand-hold the lower partothev end 'bracketagain'st sidewise displace "ment L'Eaclrbracket AI I 4is'alsoj provided along l itsl'ower "edge with an in'wardlywprojecting horizontal ange 2| ,on which the "corresponding'erid 3 flange l5 of its shelf I0 rests, as best shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Iihe invention is essentially directed to the hinge connection between each of the end brackets Il and its shelf I whereby these parts are permanently joined together but which permits the brackets Il to be folded down upon the shelf Il from the vertical position shown in Figs. 1-7 to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 8. Each end bracket Il is secured to the corresponding end of its companion shelf l0 by a pair of such hinges and which are indicated generally at 22.

Each of the hinges 22 is formed in part by a leaf or lip 23 which is struck outwardly from the corresponding depending end flange l of the shelf Il so as to form a horizontal extension of the top of the shelf and each leaf 23 is elongated in a direction transverse of the shelf. Each of these leaves 23 is composed of a pair of alining arms which extend horizontally so as to form a continuation of the top of the shelf and then are bent sharply vertically upward as best shown in Fig. 3 and have their outer ends connected by a cross bar 24. An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of an aperture 25 in each of these leaves or lips 23. Each of these apertures 25 is circumscribed by the arms of the hinge leaf, its cross bar 24 and the end edge of the shelf I0 and extends through the bend between the horizontal and vertical parts of the leaf or lip in which it is provided and is preferably of generally rectangular form with the opposite edges thereof parallel with one another. Each aperture 25 is also elongated in a direction transverse of the shelf.

In register with each of the leaves or lips 23, the wall of the corresponding side bracket Il is provided with a cruciform or T-shaped slot or aperture 26. Each of these T-shaped slots 26 comprises a central vertical part 21 which is generally of rectangular form and of a width approximately equal to the corresponding dimension of the aperture 25 in the companion hinge leaf 23. At its upper end each T-shaped slot 26 has two horizontally extending branch extensions or slots 28, 26 the distance from one end of these branches 28 to the opposite end thereof being approximately equal to the total width, transversely of the shelf l0, of the companion hinge leaf or lip 23 and the height of these branches 28 being approximately equal to the thickness of the cornpanion leaf 23. Each of the T-shaped slots 26 also preferably has an upward extension 29, this upward extension being preferably ofthe same width as the lower vertical part 21 of the slot and this upward extension 29 also being of a height approximately equal to the thickness of the metal of which the shelf and bracket are made.

Each T-shaped slot 26 is adapted to be partly lled by a tang 30 which is formed integrally and is coplanar with the side wall of the corresponding end bracket Il. This tang is joined to the body of the bracket along the lower part of the vertical part 21 of the T-shaped slot and extends upwardly into the upward projection 29 ofthek T-shaped slot, as best Shown in Fig. '1. It will be seen that, with the tang 30, the portion 21 of the aperture 26 is of inverted U-shaped form and that the slots 28 extend laterally outwardly from each side of this inverted U-shaped portion 21 of the aperture 26 below but adjacent the upper end of of this aperture. Before assembly, this tang is bent outwardly from its bracket ll at an angle as best shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

In this angular position of the tang 30 it will be seen that the pair of lips or hinge leaves 23 at one end of this shelf I0 can be slipped through the pair of T-shaped slots 26 in the corresponding end bracket Il. Thus, by bringing this end bracket Il generally into parallelism with the shelf ID, the laterally bent end extremities 24 of the pair of lips or hinge leaves 23 can be slipped into the lateral extensions 28 of the two T-shaped slots 26. Upon then swinging the end bracket I l to a vertical position the lips or hinge leaves 23 are threaded through the slots so that the horizontal body parts thereof are disposed in these lateral extensions 28 thereof. The parts then occupy the position shown in Fig. 6. In this position the vertically bent extremities 24 of the lips or hinge leaves 23 are disposed against the outer face of the corresponding end bracket I l and the apertures thereof are in vertical alinement with the lower vertical parts 21 of the two T-shaped slots 26.

In order to retain the lips or hinge leaves 23 against removal from the T-shaped slots 26, each of the pair of tangs 36 is now bent back into parallelism with the body of the end bracket H from which they were formed. In so doing, as best shown in Figs. 5 and '7, it will be seen that the tangs enter the apertures 25 of the lips or hinge leaves 23. Accordingly in this position of the tangs 30 it will be seen that the lips or hinge leaves 23 cannot be removed from the T-shaped slots 26 because the ends of the tangs 30 prevent such removal and only permit such swinging movement as is sucient to permit each bracket l l to be swung from the vertical position shown in Fig. '1 to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 8, the bracket in this latter position lying flat against the upper surface of the shelf Ill so that the shelf, with its two brackets Il, can be conveniently shipped or stored. It will therefore be seen that the two brackets Il for each shelf I0 are permanently hinged thereto so that there is no danger of losing any of these three parts in transit or in storage.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides shelf and end bracket units for library bookstacks in which each bracket is hinged to the shelf in such manner that it can be folded flat against the shelf for storage or transit and in which each bracket is permanently hinged to the shelf by a simple hinge connection which adds no substantial expense to the cost of the unit and which is strong and operates without danger of binding. It will particularly be noted that the D two parts of the hinge are provided without adding any metal to either the shelf or its end brackets, the parts of the hinge being merely stamped out of the existing metal. Further, the parts of the hinge can be formed and assembled without the use of special tools or any complicated manipulative procedure.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a shelf unit for library book stacks hav ing a generally rectangular sheet metal shelf and a perpendicular sheet metal end bracket disposed against one end of said shelf, the combination therewith of a permanently locked hinge connecting said end bracket With said shelf and permitting said end bracket to be swung downwardly on top of said shelf, comprising a hinge leaf pro jecting from said one end of said shelf, said Ahinge leaf having a pairV of horizontally out wardly and then vertically upwardly turned arms spaced transversely of said shelf and in alinement With each other and a cross bar rigidly connecting and forming a coplanar continuation of the outer vertically turned ends of said arms thereby to provide an aperture in said hinge leaf circumscribed by said arms, said one end of said shelf and said cross bar, said bracket being provided with spaced horizontal slots through which said arms severally project and having a coplanarl portion of its body disposed between said slots and extending in the upright position of said end bracket upwardly into said aperture in said hinge leaf to prevent Withdrawal of said hinge leaf from said slots.

2. In a shelf unit for library book stacks having a generally rectangular sheet metal shelf including a transverse depending flange at at least one end thereof, and a sheet metal end bracket adapted to be vertically disposed against the outer face of said ange and having its upper portion rising above said shelf, the combination therewith of a permanently locked hinge connecting said end bracket with said shelf and permitting said end bracket to be swung downwardly against the top face thereof, comprising an integral hinge leaf formed from the metal comprising said ange and projecting from said one end of said shelf, said hinge leaf having a pair of horizontally outwardly and then vertically upwardly turned arms spaced transversely of said shelf and in alinement with each other and a cross bar integral with and connecting and forming a coplanar continuation of the outer vertically turned ends of said arms thereby to provide an aperture in said hinge leaf circumscribed by said arms, said one end of said shelf and said cross bar, said bracket being provided with an aperture having an inverted U-shaped portion defining an upstanding tank coplanar and integral with said bracket and also having a slot extending laterally outwardly from each side of said inverted U-shaped portion below but adjacent the upper end of said U-shaped portion, said arms of said hinge leaf projecting through said laterally extending slots and said tang projecting through said aperture in said hinge leaf to prevent separation of said shelf and bracket.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 308,264 Klenha Nov. 18, 1884 504,182 Stimson Aug. 29, 1893 1,184,309 Berson May 23, 1916 1,219,468 Kossoy Mar. 20, 1917 1,473,290 Hammer Nov. 6, 1923 2,056,808 Skar Oct. 6, 1936 2,111,406 Robertson Mar. 15, 1938 

